In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
Present simple example sentences | |
---|---|
Are you going to say sorry for saying I am stupid then? | ¿Entonces vas a disculparte por decir que soy estúpido? |
Sorry, the line is very bad! | Perdona, ¡la cobertura es muy mala! |
Excuse me sir, here are your drinks and the menu. | Perdone señor, aquí están sus bebidas y el menú. |
He also wants to increase our rent by 50%! | ¡También quiere subir nuestra renta un 50%! |
And it's hard to believe, but it's clean. | Y es difícil de creer, pero está limpio. |
5 bedroom detached house on Lyme Street, £2,800, is that right? | Casa independiente de 5 habitaciones en calle Lyme, £2800, ¿es correcto? |
Are you the only smoker in the house? | ¿Eres el único fumador en la casa? |
He is a Chow Chow. | Es un Chow Chow. |
He hasn't realised that we are at a vet yet. | No se ha dado cuenta de que estamos en un veterinario todavía. |
I hate them buzzing around my ear all night long and waking me up. | Odio que zumben cerca de mi oído toda la noche y que me despierten. |
Or worse, sometimes they throw a party at home! | O peor, ¡a veces celebran una fiesta en casa! |
I can bring him with me when I come back for breakfast. | Puedo traerlo conmigo cuando vuelva para el desayuno. |
Oh, your girlfriend's cat... Does she live here with you? | Oh, el gato de tu novia... ¿Vive ella aquí contigo? |
It's hard to believe, but we have a pressure cooker in the house. | Es difícil de creer pero tenemos una olla a presión en casa. |
Mike, 250 degrees is the highest! | Mike, ¡250 grados es el máximo! |
Ah, I can't eat the breast, it's too dry for me! | Ah, no puedo comer pechuga, ¡es demasiado seca para mí! |
Who knows, I consider it as nothing more than a hobby. | Quién sabe, lo considero nada más que una afición. |
Yeah, I think the logo looks much better in the centre, what do you think? | Sí, creo que el logotipo luce mucho mejor en el centro, ¿qué piensas tú? |
I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | No lo sé, ¡quizás ayuda un poco! |
Well, not really! I don't like cooking much. | Bueno, ¡la verdad es que no! No me gusta mucho cocinar. |